1. Field
Aspects of the present invention relate to a mismatched differential circuit and a comparator including a mismatched differential circuit.
2. Description of Related Art
A comparator is a device that compares two input signals and outputs a signal based on this comparison. In one configuration, a comparator receives two input signals and outputs a signal indicating which of the received signals is larger. In another configuration, a comparator receives two signals (e.g., two complementary signals) and outputs a signal indicating whether or not the difference between the two received signals is greater than a threshold level.
A comparator implemented to perform the above-described threshold detection has numerous applications, including multilevel serial/parallel links, analog-to-digital converters, and peak detection. Mismatched differential circuits may be used in a comparator to set the threshold levels. Enabling a wide range of threshold levels is desirable to extend the usable range of a comparator circuit (e.g., to increase the detection range).